This article was issued by Asian Affairs (London). Viewpoint by Neville de Silva* LONDON (IDN) — They may be thousands of kilometres apart, but there is a common thread that binds Britain’s first-ever prime minister of Indian origin and of the Hindu faith and Sri Lanka’s Buddhist president installed in office less than three months […]
Thailand: Education at Fingertips for the Disabled
By Pattama Vilailert BANGKOK (IDN) — Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities are two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With 3.3 per cent of Thailand’s population categorized as “disabled”, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) has come up with an innovative program to provide a new lease of life to people who would otherwise be left behind in […]
Revered West Papuan Leader Found Dead on the Beach
By David Robie AUCKLAND (APR/IDN) — On a tragic day of mourning, thousands thronged the West Papuan funeral cortège on November 2 for the funeral of Filep Karma, and the banned Morning Star led the way in defiance of the Indonesian military. There have not been so many Papuan flags flying under the noses of […]
Thailand: Secularism Hinders Buddhists to Address Mental Health Crisis
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK (IDN) — Wile the massacre of 37 people that included 26 preschool children in a remote north-eastern township of Thailand on October 7 has shocked the nation and exposed the inadequacy of the public mental health system, it is yet to trigger a debate about whether Buddhism could step in to […]
Avoiding Arms Racing and the Possibility of Nuclear Catastrophe
Viewpoint by Daryl G. Kimball The writer is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA). The following text was published in the organization’s monthly journal, Arms Control Today. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — Over the long, dangerous course of the nuclear age, the easing of tensions and resolution of crises between the nuclear-armed states […]
Ralph Nader’s Urgent Appeal: Vote for Democrats
Viewpoint by Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon SAN FRANCISCO, USA (IDN) — When Ralph Nader appeared on “Democracy Now!” on October 25, a key moment came as he responded to the final question from host Amy Goodman: “You have campaigned as an independent and a Green throughout your political life. You ran for president four […]
Dismissal of “Population Alarmism” is Rooted in Pronatalist Ideology
Viewpoint by Nandita Bajaj* ST PAUL, Minnesota (IDN) — As the global population fast approaches 8 billion, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem wants us to avoid what she calls “population alarmism.” A fearless advocate for reproductive rights, Dr Kanem, has rightfully noted that reproductive coercion, whether in an effort to […]
What’s Next in the Ukraine War?
Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. BONN (IDN) — In order to find an answer to the difficult question about the future of Ukraine, it is worth analysing the two extreme and polarised positions currently propagated in Western Europe. On the […]
Ukraine: The Russian Nuke Threat
Viewpoint by Sergio Duarte The writer is a former High Representative of the United Nations for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) — The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, described by Moscow as a “special military operation”, entered its eighth month without an end in […]
Is President Putin Offering an Olive Branch to the West?
Viewpoint by Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK (IDN) — The 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Forum, titled “Peace after Hegemony: Justice and Security for all” was held in Moscow from October 24-27. The meeting was attended by 111 international policy experts, politicians, diplomats and economists from 41 countries, including from France, Germany, and the […]